i 



436 ROSA 



l. MULTIFLORA,' Thiinberg. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 7119; R. polyantha, Siebold.} 



A wide-spreading bush, ultimately 10 to 15 ft. high, sending out every 

 year from the main body of the plant long arching stems which are clothed 

 with blossom the following June. Branches smooth, armed with small 

 decurved prickles. Leaves 3 to 6 ins. long, more on exceptionally vigorous 

 shoots, composed of seven or nine leaflets ; stipules deeply laciniated, and 

 with glandular teeth. Leaflets i to 2 ins. long, obovate or oval, simply toothed, 

 slightly downy above when young, more so beneath. Flowers white, i in. 

 across, very numerously borne in branching panicles, 4 to 6 ins. across, and 

 as much high ; stamens golden yellow. Calyx-tube and flower-stalk hairy ; 

 sepals reflexed, white-woolly and glandular. Fruit oval to round, J in. long, 

 red, with the sepals fallen away. 



Native of N. China, Corea, and Japan ; long known in gardens by its 

 double and variously coloured forms ; the single-flowered type was not 

 introduced until 1875. This is the parent species (or in the case of hybrids, 

 the dominating species) of the great and valuable group of roses classed as 

 " polyantha," characterised by small, but numerous flowers in large trusses, 

 and usually a rambling habit. A discussion of these is outside the province 

 of this work. The distinctive mark of R. multiflora, which is more or less 

 evident also in its progeny, is the conspicuously laciniated stipules. It is 

 one of the most beautiful of wild roses ; of a robust and very graceful habit, 

 a single bush growing 10 ft. or more high, and still more in diameter, every. 

 branch wreathed with blossom during June. The lower branches take root 

 if resting on loose soil, and for ordinary purposes afford a sufficient means 

 of increase. When more are needed they can be obtained from cuttings with 

 the greatest ease. R. multiflora is useful for clothing high fencing, for 

 planting on banks, and in any place where its vigorous growths can have 

 ample space to develop. 



Var. FLORE PLENO. Bramble-flowered Rose. Introduced to Kew in 

 1804, this has flowers .similar in size and arrangement to the type, but with 

 numerous petals. 



Var. PLATYPHYLLA. Seven Sisters Rose. A beautiful rose with large 

 leaves twice as big as those of the type ; flowers varying pale rose to crimson. 



Var. THUNBERGII (R. Thunbergii, Hort. Paul} is distinguished by stronger 

 stems and longer leaves, also by larger but fewer flowers on the truss. 



R. NIPPONENSIS, Crepin. FUJIYAMA ROSE. 



(R, acicularis var. nipponensis, Hooker fil. ; Bot. Mag., t. 7646.) 



A bush 3 to 7 ft. high, with erect stems, sometimes naked, sometimes 

 furnished with bristle-like spines, \ to j in. long. Leaves 2 to 4 ins. 

 long, composed of usually seven or nine leaflets (sometimes five or 

 eleven), which are \ to i in. or more long, pointed or rounded at the apex, 

 simply toothed, smooth on both surfaces ; common stalk more or less bristly. 

 Flowers almost always solitary, "i?? to if ins. across, of a beautiful deep 

 purplish red ; stalk glandular-bristly ; sepals extending slightly beyond the 

 petals, very downy on the lower half. Fruit bright red, f- in. long, ovoid, 

 crowned by the erect, persistent sepals. 



Native of Japan, on Fujiyama Mountain. This rose is closely allied to 

 acicularis, but differs in its more deeply coloured flowers and smooth leaves. 

 It is, perhaps, the most pleasing of the acicularis group, distinguished by 

 their erect sepals on red fruits. Introduced to Kew in 1894. 



